


great. fine. perfect.

by hrtbnr



Series: still care about mixtapes [2]
Category: Cow Chop
Genre: Close call, Fake Chop, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-16
Updated: 2018-03-16
Packaged: 2019-04-01 01:16:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13987311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hrtbnr/pseuds/hrtbnr
Summary: all james’ emotions look, sorta, like anger.





	great. fine. perfect.

**Author's Note:**

> the prompt was “great. perfect. nice. fuck this!” and okay, I didn’t use that specifically, but the spirit is there I feel

“I’m going to fucking kill him!“

Lindsey’s hand is wrapped tightly around his wrist and Trevor is body blocking him from entering the warehouse, and James is really fucking trying not to swing his way through them. Lindsey tugs on him and he yanks his hand back and pushes Trevor hard with his shoulder, both of them stumbling inside. Aleks is in there somewhere with Brett and Jakob, probably proud of himself and not feeling any regret.

Trevor nearly gets him by the leg of his jeans as James runs through the lobby and into the bay. He catches up with him just as he spots Aleks’ stupid fucking blond head, long arms grabbing around his middle and holding him back. He says something like dude, chill out, and James elbows him in the gut until Trevor lets him go.

“I’m going to fucking shoot him in his fucking face!”

Aleks looks satisfied and bratty, like he already knows what James is going to say and do, and is unimpressed by all of it.

“He’s already been shot once today,” Brett says easily. He’s standing between where James is advancing on Aleks and the triage bed he’s sitting on. “How many bullets do you want to put in him per day? Do you have a quota?”

“Are you fucking serious?” James rounds on Brett, in the same moment Aleks says, “It was just a graze.”

“You wanna shoot me too?” Brett says in that same calm, relaxed voice. James’ hand moves to his waist, to the gun tucked in the back of his jeans, and thinks about it.

Aleks catches his eye and even though James is furious with him, when he shakes his head, just a little jerk of his chin, James deflates enough that some of the tension in Brett’s shoulders disappears. Shooting Brett is off the table, for now, but he should be saying something. Telling him to go fuck himself, that he didn’t “graze” Aleks with that bullet, that Aleks stepped in front of it. James was already diving out of the way and Aleks just walked into it, and it’s a goddamn miracle it only nicked his shoulder.

If his reaction time had been just a tiny bit better Aleks would’ve gotten shot right in his fucking neck. And now he’s sitting there, looking pleased.

James takes his thumbs and presses them hard above both his eyes, trying to drive back the pressure there and ease the pounding in his head.

“Can we get the room?”

It’s not a room so much as a portioned off section of the warehouse, plywood walls and old shower curtains Asher brought from home. But it’s the best they got.

There’s a beat of silence and it’s Jakob who says, “Can I get your gun?”

James huffs and hands it over with almost no complaint. Just, “I ain’t gonna fucking shoot him,” and Aleks has the audacity to laugh.

As soon they step away James closes the curtains and takes a few deep breaths, keeping his back to Aleks. Instead he focuses on Brett and Lindsey calming down Trevor, who always handles himself perfectly in the field but gets shook once they’re home and the adrenaline wears off. It’s possible James threatening to murder one of their own didn’t help any, and he knows he’s going to have to apologize for roughing Trevor up, but that’s later.

That’s later and this is now, and he wants to hold on to his fucking anger, he has the right to, but when he finally turns to Aleks he finds nearly all of it slips away from him. He’s shirtless and pale, but looks at James with a little half-smile that tugs up one side of his mouth, and not even the bandage on his shoulder can rekindle James’ fury.

“You’re the stupidest motherfucker I’ve ever met in my life,” he says, only allowing himself to take a single step forward. “What the hell were you thinking?”

Aleks rubs the corner of his mouth with his thumb and seems to consider it for a moment, before saying, “I’m never going to fucking stand around and watch you get shot.”

“Yes, you absolutely fucking will.” James’ voice is a goddamn threat. “You play it safe, Aleks, always. Even if that means watching one of us catch a bullet.”

There’s immediate flush that creeps up his face, eyebrows drawn together and jaw tightening. “‘Do you know how many shots you’ve taken for me?”

The question catches James off guard and he shrugs, shaking his head.

“And do you understand how fucked up it is you can’t even count them?” His voice softens a little, but not by much, and James takes a few steps closer. “I get it. You want to protect me and I really get that. But I don’t want - I can’t be without you either. So we can accept we’re gonna keep doing this shit or just, just fucking quit right now.”

James wants to tell him that he doesn’t understand, that Aleks has never understood. He’s worth more than James is. That his life is worth more to him than James’ own, and that it’s always been that way. He’d take a hundred bullets and die a hundred times to keep this stupid fuck alive, he’d do anything for him. He wants to say it but can’t, because even though it’s true, Aleks would only hear it as an insult. He’d only get upset that James still doesn’t understand either. Doesn’t get how Aleks feels the same exact way.

“C’mere, please,” he says softly and James moves into his space immediately so Aleks can wrap his arms around him, burying his face against James’ chest. “I don’t wanna fight with you, dude. I’m tired. I just want to go home.”

Aleks’ hair is soft when James combs his fingers through it. They don’t live together but when Aleks says home it doesn’t need to be specified he means James’ place. They don’t live together, but across town James’ apartment is filled with Aleks’ clothes and video games and he’s got his own toothbrush. Somewhere in the apartment Mishka is curled around Ein, resting her head atop of James’ dog protectively, both of them fast asleep.

“I was worried,” James admits, pressing his lips to the top of Aleks’ head. “You fucking scared me.”

“I know.” He’s rubbing comforting little circles on James’ back and it feels like an apology. James accepts it immediately. “I’m familiar with the subtle differences of your anger.”

“Shithead,” James says with a smile. He takes Aleks’ face in his hands and tilts his head back so he can swoop in for a kiss. It’s warm and slow and pulls a wanton little moan out of Aleks that sends a shiver down James’ back.

“Take me home so we can have crazy hot, life-affirming sex. I’ll even let you come on my face.”

A high-pitched, surprised laugh pops out of him before he can stop it. “You’re a fucking idiot.”

“Yeah,” Aleks agrees, and pulls James down for another kiss, and another, grinning through them both. “So, you’re not gonna shoot me, right?”

“‘Nah,” James says and pulls away so Aleks can put his shirt back on. “‘Well, on you, yeah. Because you just said -.”

Aleks laughs and pinches his nipple through his shirt, twisting until James yelps.

 


End file.
